'It's the big one': Canadians rep their skills at the International Lineman's Rodeo

As It Happens5:46Canadians rep their skills at the International Lineman's Rodeo

Think of it as the Olympics forlineworkers.

This weekend, hundreds of tradespeople will gather in Kansas City for the International Lineman's Rodeo and Expo, and several Canadian teams will be there to rep their climbing, electrical and safety skills on the world stage.

"It's the big one," competitor Colby Braaten, a lineworker from Langley, B.C., told As It Happens host Nil Kksal. "It's very well-known, especially through the trades."

Braatenis there with three of his colleagues representing B.C. Hydro, the province's electrical utility. Other Canadian teams are there as well, including Ontario's Hydro One.

How it works

Now in its 40th year, the annual event promotes safety among lineworkers, people who climb electrical poles and service electrical transmissions.

"Obviously linemen are working power lines all day, every day, and this ... [is] showing people what we do up on the pole, all the safety procedures," Braatensaid.

But it's also a contest. And it all goes down at Overland Park in Kansas City, where organizers have erected rows upon rows of utility poles.

The competition is threefold.

First, there's what's called "the hurtman rescue," where a team of three workers collaborate to save a stranded dummy halfway up the pole, representing an injured colleague.

"We've always done pretty well in it, and I think we have it pretty dialled in," Braatensaid. "I'd like to say we could do it in under three minutes, but we'll see how we do tomorrow."

Then there's the pole climb, where competitors ascend a pole while using their mouths to carry an egg in a container. At the top, they discard the container, and climb back down with the egg alone their mouth.

The goal is to move as quickly as possible without breaking the egg, showcasing an ability to work fast, but carefully.

"It's not very fun when you're coming down with your mouth full of egg," Braatensaid. "I've broken a few, for sure."

Finally, there will be two mystery events.

"It can vary. We can do anything from a transformer change with a three man crew, to a cross arm change to an insulator change to anything,"he said. "We find out tonight what we get to do."

Last year,B.C, Hydro's mainteam finished in 175th place.Braatenis hoping they'll improve their standing this year.

"We're hoping to come back to B.C. with some bragging rights," he said. "We're going to do our best for sure."